Nowthisisbynomeansatriflefromthepointofviewoflegalanalysis。Thegrandandpettyjuriesofthecommonlawaremeansofinformation，andnothingmore。Theyformnopartofthetribunal，strictlyspeaking；thecourtisconstitutedbythejudges，thelawyerscommissionedbytheking，whoadoptthismethodininvestigatingthefactsbeforethem，becauseaknowledgeofthefactsatissue，andanunderstandingoflocalconditionssurroundingthem，issupposedtoresidenaturallyinthecountrywherethefactshavetakenplace。54*Historicallytheinstitutionisevolvedfromexaminationsofwitnessesandexperts，andhasbranchedoffinFranceintothecloseformalismofinquisitorialprocess。Themanorialjury，ontheotherhand，representsthecourt，andinterchangeswithit。55*Forthisreason，wemayspeakdirectlyofthecourtinsteadoftreatingofitsdelegates。Andiftheverdictofthecourtistaken，itisnotonaccountofthechanceknowledge，thepresumableacquaintanceofthesuitorswithfactsandconditions，butasalivingremembranceofwhattookplacebeforethissamecourt，orasare-assertionofitspowerofregulatingthelegalstandingofthecommunity。Theverdictofthesuitorsisonlyanotherformoftheentryontherolls，andbotharemeansofsecuringthecontinuityofaninstitutionandnotmerelyofprovidinginformationtooutsiders。Ofcourse，claimsmaynotbealwaysreducedtosuchelementaryformsthattheycanbedecidedbyamerereferencetomemory，thememoryoftheconstitutedbodyofthecourt。Acertainamountofreasoningandinferencemaybeinvolvedintheirsettlement，asetofjuridicaldoctrinesisnecessarytoprovidethegeneralprinciplesofsuchreasoning。
Andinbothrespectsthemanorialcourtiscalledupontoact。Itisconsideredastherepositaryoflegallore，andtheexponentofitsapplications。Thismeansthatthecourtis，whatitsnameimplies，atribunalandnotasetofprivatepersonscalledupontoassistajudgebytheirknowledgeoflegaldetailsormaterialfacts。56*
Thewholeexpositionbringsusbacktoapointofprimaryimportance。Thetitlebywhichlandisheldaccordingtomanorialcustomisderivedfromcommunalauthorityquiteasmuchasfromthelord’sgrant。Withoutsteppingoutofthefeudalevidenceintohistoricalinquiry，wefindthatcivilarrangementsofthepeasantryarebasedonactsperformedthroughtheagencyofthesteward，andbeforethemanorialcourt，whichhasavoiceinthematterandvouchesforitsvalidityandremembrance。The’fullcourt’isnoticedintherecordsasquiteasnecessaryanelementintheconveyancingbusinessasthelordandhissteward，althoughthelegal。theoryofmoderntimeshasaffectedtotakeintoaccountonlytheselatter。57*Indeed，itisthepartassumedbythecourtwhichappearsasthedistinctive，ifnotthemoreimportantfactor。Afeoffmentoflandmadeonthebasisoffreetenureproceedsfromthegrantorinthesamewayasagrantontheconditionsofbasetenure；freeholdcomesfromthelord，aswellascopyhold。Butcopyholdisnecessarilytransferredincourt，whilefreeholdisnot。Andifwespeakofthepresentmentofoffencesthroughtherepresentativesoftownships，asofthepracticeofcommunalaccusation，evensowehavetocallthetitlebywhichcopyholdtenureiscreatedaclaimbasedoncommunaltestimony。
Allthepointsnoticedintherollsofmanorsheldatcommonlawaretobefoundonthesoilofancientdemesne，buttheyarestatedmoredefinitelythere，andtherightsofthepeasantpopulationareassertedwithgreaterenergy。Ourpreviousanalysisoftheconditionofancientdemesnehasledustotheconclusion，thatitpresentsacrystallisationofthemanorialcommunityinanearlierstageofdevelopmentthanintheordinarymanor，butthattheconstitutiveelementsinbothcasesareexactlythesame。Forthisreason，everyquestionarisinginregardtotheusualarrangementsoughttobeexaminedinthelightoftheevidencethatcomesfromtheancientdemesne。
Wehaveseenthatitwouldbeimpossibletomaintainthatoriginallythestewardwastheonlyjudgeofthemanorialtribunal；thewholecourtwithitsfreeandunfreesuitorsparticipatesmateriallyintheadministrationofjustice，anditsofficeisextendedtoquestionsoflawaswellastoissuesoffact。Ontheotherhand，itwasclearthatthestewardandthelordwerealreadypreparingthepositionwhichtheyultimatelyassumedinlegaltheory，thatintheexerciseoftheirfunctionstheywerebeginningtomonopolisethepowerofultimatedecisionandtorestrictthecourttothedutyofpreliminarypresentment。